Gyroscopic ship roll indicator



Aug. 22, 1950 v G.M. STROBINO 2,519,718

GYROSCOPIC SHIP ROLL INDICATOR Filed Oct. 11, 1947 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVENT 01? 643107214. $1 052); a

Aug. 22, 1950 G. M. STROBINO GYROSCOPIC SHIP ROLL INDICATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11; 1947- [NI/21mm Gasfonfld. S 222 051720 1950 a. M. STROBINO 2,519,718

GYROSCOPIC SHIP ROLL INDICATOR Filed on. 11, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 5 gllll H 11V VEN T 0R- Gaszonflij 152 0121720 Patented Aug. 22, 1950 GYROS GOPI C SHIP ROLL INDICATOR Gaston M. Strobino, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 11, 1947, Serial No. 779,370

2 Claims.

My invention relates to gyroscopic ship roll indicators.

An important object of my invention is to provide a ship roll indicator, which'may be attached to the deck of a ship, having a graduated dial of 180, and within its case a gyroscopic motor suspended from the indicator needle shaft so that, as the ship rolls with the waves, constantly changing the pitch of the ships deck and ship roll indicator panel, the indicator needle will, at all times, be unwaveringly maintained in a vertical position with the earths center, so that the angle of the roll or pitch may be easily read upon the said graduated indicator dial.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ship roll indicator, which being mounted'upon a pedestal on the ships deck, may be fixedly adjusted horizontally in an arc of 90 on the said pedestal in order to indicate either the fore and aft pitch of the ship, or the port to starboard roll of the ship, depending on whether the indicator dial is aligned to fore and aft, or to port and starboard.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a non-vibrating ball bearing universal mount means for suspending the said gyroscopic motor, allowing the gyroscopic motor to precess or rotate in a horizontal plane to compensate automatically when the indicator is in a position other than its true orientation, the said mount means afiording pendulating movement in a Vertical plane to the said gyroscopic motor.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a modification in the form of a portable ship roll indicator that may be found desirable for smaller ships, and which may be used in the same manner as the hereinbefore described ship roll indicator.

A still further object of my invention is to provide in my modification a gyroscopic wheel, powered by two oppositely wound motors mounted upon the same shaft.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a gyroscopic ship roll indicator of a simple and sturdy construction that may ;be econo ically manufactured.

The following description and the accompanying illustrations will disclose other objects and advantages that are included in my invention, in which like parts are designated by like numerals, and in which Fig. 1 is a front view of my ship roll indicator mounted upon its pedestal on the ships deck and showing, in phantom lines, the action of the roll of the ship.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of my invention taken substantially on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical wiring of my invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of my invention taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of my invention taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. 'Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of my invention taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is the front view of a portion of a modification of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 99 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional View of a portion of my invention taken substantially on line l0- ID of Fig. 8.

Referring to the illustrations, one form of my invention is generally designated H and consists of a semi-cylindrical housing [2, on the front of which is mounted, by screws M, a dial segment I3. The housing 12 may be formed of plastic or metal, and is provided with a removable panel l5'on its rear side, held by screws l6 onto the housing l2.

The semi-cylindrical housing I2 is supported by a neck l1, pivotally mounted and held in place by stud bolt 20 and nut 2| on a pedestal I8 which is securely fastened to the ships deck IS. A reduced extension 22 of neck I! extends into a counterbored recess 23 in the top of the .pedestal I8, and attached thereto is a lever 24. The lever 24 rides in a slot 25 of a arc in the pedestal ll, the said lever being of a resilient construction and so mounted as to be caused to snap into engagement with the recesses 26 and 21, one at each end of the slot 25, acting as a locking means, to maintain the housing l2 in either a fore and aft, or port to starboard, alignment.

At a point in the circumference of the neck l1, an aligning mark 28 is formed. The said aligning mark 28 is located on a center line parallel with the dial 13. Two additional aligning marks 28 are located at points on the circumference of the pedestal top just above and in alignment with the two recessed ends 26 and 21 of the slot 25. The pedestal i8 is mounted on the ships deck 19 so that the center line of the recessed slot ends 26 and 21 are parallel and in exact alignment with the fore and aft center 3 line, and the port to starboard center line of the ship.

Therefore, by grasping the handle H of the lever 24, and lifting or springing said lever from the recess 25 or 27, the indicator housing may be swung to a position to indicate the roll from fore and aft of the ship, or to indicate the roll from port to starboard oi the said ship. The said aligning marks 28 and 28', when in registry, indicate the true position of the gyroscopic ship roll indicator.

A support bracket 29 is formed with, or suitably mounted in, the housing i2 and the top is drilled at 30. Ball bearing units 3| are mounted in the hole 3Q; one on the inner end, the other within a boss 32 on the front surface of housing E2. The said boss 32 providing the bearing surface for an indicator needle 3% which is mounted by means of lock nuts 35 on the reduced threaded end 3 of a shaft 33 journaled in the said ball bearing units 3 l.

Formed on the inner end of the shaft 33 is a bearing block 3'! which serves as a support for the gyroscopic motor 42 allowing it to pendulate about a. horizontal axis. The gyroscopic motor support means consists of a countersunk hole 6| in block 31 and a stud 39 attached to the said gyroscopic motor 42. Contained in the countersunk portion of hole El is a ball bearing unit 38, the outer cage of which is fixedly clamped by the plate 6 3 and screws 63 to block 37. The inner cage of ball bearing unit 38 is fixedly held between a shoulder 12 on stud 39 and a bushing 13, the flange of which rests on plate it, held by lock nut M on the reduced threaded end in of the stud 39. This attaching means allows the gyroscopic motor to pivot about a vertical axis, .prO- viding together with its horizontal pivoting means, a universal joint which will allow the axis of the gyroscope to point horizontally whether or not its axis is aligned with the axis of the ship.

If desired, the arc of the horizontal pivot may be limited to the necessary 90 arc, as shown in Fig. 6, by a slot as in the bearing block 3'! and a pin M in the casing of the gyroscopic unit 42-. A switch 45 is mounted upon the top of housing l2 and controls the power input line 41 to the motor of the gyroscopic unit 4 .2. A red signal light 138 may also be mounted upon the housing I2, and in parallel by wires 49 to the power intake lines 4?, to indicate when the gyroscopic motor 42 is in operation. A voltage regulator or reducer 48 may be installed on line 4'! if required.

' The dial segment !3 is graduated as at 56 from zero to 90 each way from the center point, as shown in Fig. 1. The vertically positioned indicator needle 35 when touching the zero mark on dial 1% indicates, as shown in Fig. 1, that the ships deck is is at right angles to a vertical plane through axis 33, any deviation from this position being sensed by the action of the suspended gyroscopic motor 32, thus indicating the degree of tilt of the said ships deck IS on the dial l3, as shown in phantom lines in Fig. I.

A modified form of my invention is generally designated 5! and consists of a semi-cylindrical case 5i, having a removable base 52, held tothe case 55 by screws 53. A handle 5a is suitably mounted on the top of the said case 5|. The semi-circular dial segment 55 is mounted by screws Ed on the face of the case 5i. The dial segment 55 is graduated as at 55 to 180, as previously described for the form illustrated in Fig. 1, The support bracket 69 is suitably mounted 4 on the base 52 and is provided with a drilled hole 30 and ball bearing units 3|.

Mounted or formed upon the end of the shaft 33 is a supporting arm 68, on which is suspended, by means of bolt 65 and nut 65, a bearing block 62, in a central hole of which is contained a ball bearing unit 6|. Formed on the bearing block 62 are bifurcated support arms to which are attached two oppositely wound motors 59 mounted upon the same shaft with a gyroscopic Wheel 58.

As indicated in Fig. 10, the outer cage of the ball bearing unit 38 is clamped between a shoulder 14 formed in the arms 60 and a plate 64 secured thereto by screws 63. The inner cage of the ball bearing unit 38 being held between the head of the bolt 55 and the head of a bushing 15. A washer i6 overlapping the bushing 15 and arm 68 is secured over the reduced threaded end 6'! of the bolt by lock nut 66, permitting rotation about a vertical axis for gyroscope 58.

Power intake lines 41, a switch 45, a voltage reducer 46, and a warning light 48, similar to those already described, complete the modification to my ship roll indicator. A guard Hi may also be mounted over the front of easing 5! to protect the indicator hand 36,. as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

A most important feature of my invention, as illustrated in Fig. 10, is the universal joint connection between the gyroscopic motor unit and the hand indicator shaft. This connection is so designed that it affords to the gyroscopic unit a rotary motion about both its vertical and horizontal axes so that, especially since the gyroscopic' motor, in its operation, always points toward the center of the earth, its previously described universal connection, through the shaft 33 to the indicator hand 36 will cause the said indicator hand 36 to point to the center of the earth regardless of the tilt or pitch of the ship in the plane of the indicator dial upon which the indicator needle is mounted.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen in the illustrations, in solid lines, that the ships deck is exactly horizontal and that the indicator hand 36 points to zero, indicating no pitch or tilt to the ships deck. In the phantom line, the ship is showntilting to the left and to the right, and it will be seen that, while the dial l3 tilts with the ship, the indicator hand 36 still maintains its vertical position indicating a tilt or pitch of about 30 in either direction. By means of the gyroscopic motor and the novel universal and secure connections between the said gyroscopic motor and the indicator hand, the indicator hand will be maintained, at all times, in a vertical and unwavering position regardless of the tilt or pitch either fore and aft, or port to starboard, of the said ship, and the degree of roll or tilt may be easily read upon the graduated split dial I3.

What might be stressed to more effectively illustrate the advantages of my invention is that if an indicator of similar construction but one without a stabilizing means, such as a gyroscopic motor, were to be used, then the indicator hand would have an independent vibratory motion making. it difficult to read the tilt or roll of the vessel to which it may be attached. With my invention, the indicator hand, by virtue of its rigid connection to a gyroscope, automatically controlled by its precession, will always point to gravity.

The automatic compensating arrangement operating within an arc Of heretofore described, lends flexibility to the mechanism permitting the gyroscopic motor to orientate within the given arcuate adjustment to compensate for settings other than those measuring the roll of the ship between fore and aft, and port to starboard, positions.

I wish it to be understood that the forms of my invention, which has been illustrated and described, are to be regarded as suggestive rather than in restrictive or limiting sense; inasmuch as it is obvious that details of construction may be modified, as by the use of equivalent elements, without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed. 7.

Having thus described and disclosed my invention, what I claim as novel, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A ship roll indicator of the character described comprising, a base, a semi-cylindrical housing having a neck secured to the top of said base, a segment secured to one end of said semicylindrical housing, bearing bracket means within the said housing, a shaft journaled in the said bearing bracket means, an indicator needle secured to one end of the said shaft cooperating with the said segment, the said shaft provided with a bearing block on its other end, and gyroscopic means mounted swivelably on the said bearing block and free to motivate about its longitudinal axis, and orienting means consisting of a slotted portion adjacent the top of the said base, and resilient lever means secured to the neck of the said semi-cylindrical housing and adapted to orient the said semi-cylindrical housing within an ambit of substantially 2. A ship roll indicator Of the character described comprising, a base, a semi-cylindrical housing having a neck secured to the top of said base, a segment secured to one end of said semicylindrical housing, bearing bracket means within the said housing, a shaft journaled in the said bearing bracket means, an indicator needle secured to one end of the said shaft cooperating with the said segment, the said shaft provided with a bearing block on its other end, and gyroscopic means mounted swivelably on the said bearing block and free to motivate about its longitudinal axis, pin means on the said gyroscopic means cooperating with arcuate recess means on the said bearing block to limit the movement of the said gyroscopic means, and orienting means consisting of a slotted portion adjacent the top of the said base, and resilient lever means secured to the neck of the said semi-cylindrical housing and adapted to orient the said semi-cylindrical housing within an ambit of substantially 90.

GASTON M. STROBINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,642,087 Rosenbaum Sept. 13, 1927 1,903,710 Stohr Apr. 11, 1933 

